[njohnson491]

I have been offered a sales position with a company I was with previouly from 2003-2005. This is in the area of home improvement sales, direct to consumer. My question is - what is the general consumer vibe right now in Southeast Michigan also Saginaw, Bay City, etc? Are people still buying things despite the economy?

[chiroptera]

Pretty grim overall - I'm in remodeling/home improvement, pretty established, and business is down by about 50%. I live in Flint but my customer base is mostly more affluent surrounding cities - Grand Blanc, Fenton, Linden, Davison, etc. Two years ago I was booking work 1-2 months ahead and had two helpers. Now it's mostly just me, an on-call helper when needed, and thank doG for my other business venture that still brings in money! I do no advertising (been all word of mouth & repeat business for years.)

It's not just me. I know several well established, quality folks in the same industry who are barely hanging in right now (drywall, faux painting, electrical, finish carpenter.) And most everyone I know has cut their bid prices, because there's a glut of people out there willing to work for under $10/hr and bid accordingly.

That said - perhaps you have a really good niche product or can target, say, a very affluent clientele (but they're being cautious with their money too!) And perhaps you're the type of salesperson who can, as they say, sell ice to Eskimos.

Just my take, for what it's worth. I can't speak much to Saginaw etc. Did a job up there a few months ago - laid off family moving down south because they couldn't find work up here, and needed a little work done on their house before putting it on the market...

Only upside from an economic POV here is real estate is astoundingly affordable right now compared to most of the rest of the country. I paid cash for my house and have no mortgage. Property taxes are fairly low in Flint. I like it here but don't see much of a turnaround any time soon. Read some of the other Michigan discussions if you haven't already...

Originally Posted by njohnson491

I have been offered a sales position with a company I was with previouly from 2003-2005. This is in the area of home improvement sales, direct to consumer. My question is - what is the general consumer vibe right now in Southeast Michigan also Saginaw, Bay City, etc? Are people still buying things despite the economy?